The silence lasted for nearly two days. He tried to distance himself more and more. He’d seen her with Skinner one other time, and he’d seen Skinner leaving the clinic. Of course other people were around, but. . .
After another silent dinner he rose to take his plate to the sink.
"Mulder, we have to talk." She reached out to touch his arm and he’d gone completely stiff. He managed to lower himself back into the chair.
"Are you going to leave me?" He asked in a dead voice.
"What?" He couldn’t have said what she’d just heard.
"Skinner won’t care that it’s my baby you’re carrying I’m sure."
The slap of her palm against his face stung, but he made no comment.
"Look at me Mulder. Is that what you want?"
"I want whatever makes you happy Scully."
"Damn you Fox Mulder, and damn those insecurities of yours! You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you? Since we’ve been together you’ve been expecting me to leave you – run away, fall in love with someone else, die. You just can’t believe I’m with you. That I want to be with you.
"Well let me tell you something Fox Mulder, I waited a long time to get married. I waited until I was sure of what I wanted. You’re stuck with me, and now that I finally am pregnant, you’re stuck with both of us. It’s a package deal and you can’t get out of it. Do you understand me?"
He sat there staring at her, afraid to believe the words. No one else had lasted this long in his life; no one had wanted to. "Are. . . are you saying you want my baby?"
She closed her eyes; she’d forgotten how damaged he was. Over the last year, when they were together finally in every sense of the word, she’d thought he’d become confident of her, of her love for him. But his pain was so deep; he’d only healed over the surface. She’d been right on target. He had – somewhere in the back of his mind – always expected to lose her.
"The only way I’ll leave you is if you send me away. And even then I’ll always have you with me now. I’m sorry for the way I reacted when I found out about the baby. It was too big a shock. I’d given up even dreaming of having our child, your child. It was too much to take in, I couldn’t even think. It’s not the world I would have chosen for our child, but I would always choose the child. Always Mulder. Can you forgive me?"
His eyes had been locked on hers during the entire speech. Now his hand covered hers, trembling only slightly. "You really love me?"
"Yes, you idiot! You’re the only man I’ve ever loved. The only man I’ve ever wanted to love. And I want to make love with you now. I’m going through withdrawal not having your arms around me at night." She was smiling at him.
She was smiling, and she wanted his baby, and she didn’t want to leave him for Skinner. He was lightheaded at the thought.
She shook her head slightly reading these thoughts as they flittered across his face. "Come with me Mulder. Maybe I can explain better in the other room." She took his hand and led him to their bedroom.
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Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunman and Skinner all belong to Chris Carter,10-13 and Fox. No infringement intended.
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